Never Meet Your Heroes, Lamborghini Countach Edition

It's often been said that you should never meet your heroes. But a few weeks ago, I couldn't resist the call of a certain carbureted V12.

The vehicle in question was a 1985 Lamborghini Countach 5000 S, whose wedge-like silhouette occupied prominent poster real estate during my car-addled adolescence. In the buff mags of the era, it seemed no amount of hyperbole could capture its explosive personality, cementing its position in my mind as the supercar to end all supercars.

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Fast forward several decades, and my profession has provided the good fortune of sampling all manner of exotics. The missing link? That alien Lamborghini of yore, the oddity that got away. So you can imagine my lightheadedness when buddy Nicolai Iuul-- who happens to produce Justin Bell's "World's Fastest Car Show"-- mentioned they were shooting a segment at Willow Springs Raceway featuring an '85 Countach and a brand new Aventador. Would I like to come hang and maybe sample both beasts? The answer-- "Hell yeah!"-- came faster than the modern Italian supercar can hit 30 mph.

The 1980s-era Countach came period correct, with white-on-white Miami Vice stylings sitting on chubby Pirellis. But climbing into the curved seat and shoving the five-speed through its gated shifter reinforced all the admonishments I'd heard about the 30 year-old Marcello Gandini-designed Lambo: with a stab of the stiff accelerator and tug of the unwieldy steering wheel, the Countach proceeded to gobble the Streets of Willow racetrack with the deftness of a butter knife.

Especially when experienced against the voracious, 691 hp stiletto that is the Aventador LP700-4, the Countach felt tame, tempered, and nearly temperemental-- but not quite beastly enough to scare. Also curious was the fact that its heavy steering never seemed to lighten up, even at speed (unlike, say, 1960s-era Porsche 911s, which become livelier with velocity.)

Despite its dynamic deficiencies, climbing out of the Countach and seeing its familiar shape in my peripheral vision reconnected long forgotten synapses. As unalluring as its performance may have been on the track (especially when compared to its modern descendant), the Countach instantly redeemed itself with its unmistakable silhouette.

For Justin Bell's thoughts on the unholy union of Lamborghinis, check out his "World's Fastest Car Show" piece here: